Mars has been a hot topic in recent years. Everything from landing on the red planet to human habitation to alien life has been talked about. The scientists at NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory have been studying the planet since before 2012. One of the most exciting things about NASA exploring the planet is that you can follow along with their discoveries! The Curiosity rover is currently rolling over the red planet trying to discover the possibility of the planet’s habitability.
How The Curiosity Rover Is Accomplishing Its Mission
Sending a rover to Mars and having it determine the habitability of the planet sounds like a huge undertaking. And it is! The rover actually has the largest and most advanced suite of scientific instruments that have ever been sent to the planet. As Curiosity trucks over the landscape, it is collecting soil samples and drilling rocks. The rover is also recording climate and geologic conditions to discover the formation, structure, and chemical composition of the planet. Doing this allows scientists at NASA to get a better understanding of the planet’s history, which will in turn give them a better understanding of the current and future conditions expected on the planet.
Instruments On The Rover
The Curiosity rover has state-of-the-art tools used for acquiring information about the geology, atmosphere, environmental conditions, and potential biosignature on Mars. The rover is actually designed to work much like a human would in the environment on Mars. In order to accomplish its mission, the rover has three different cameras, four spectrometers, two radiation detectors, an environmental system, and atmospheric sensors.
How You Can Keep Up With The Mission
Keeping up with the Mars rover is not only easy, but it’s fun and interactive! The Mars Science Laboratory has an interactive website that you can use to explore the red planet and follow along with Curiosity’s journey. Everything from 360 degree videos to a timeline showing the exploration of Mars can be found on the site. To start exploring and learning with Curiosity, be sure to check out the Experience Curiosity interactive video. You can see how the rover moves and even operate it!
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